Crying Shoulder
by C0123
Summary: Based on 4.5, what if Harry had taken Ruth up on her offer of a shoulder? Continues from the scene in Harry's office where she asks him.
1. Chapter 1

Based on 4.05 – The Book – Harry accepts Ruth's shoulder.

"I'd like that. Thank you Ruth." He smiled at her, the first smile she had seen him give all day. What was she thinking, imposing on him when he was so vulnerable. She had persuaded herself that it was the right thing to do, if he didn't want her support then he would say, but at least she had asked. The idea that he may say yes had not registered in her mind until the words had passed his lips. Her eyelids had flickered in surprise and her voice had cracked with her next sentence.

"You could come over to my place, or I could come over to yours, whichever you would prefer?" _Why don't you just say it Ruth? Want to come over for some sympathy sex? _Sure enough his eyes had widened with the suggestion, the barest hint of a smirk playing across his lips as she glared at the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow her whole. Finally deciding to stop torturing her he chuckled.

"Why don't I come over to yours? It means I won't be hurt when you refuse a lift back later on." She lifted her head and smiled at him, grateful for the change of subject. "I could even give you a lift home." He winked cheekily at her, her heart rate accelerating as she looked at him.

"Or I could take the bus and meet you at my front door?" She grinned and turned abruptly; heading for the door of his office, flashing him one last lingering look as she crossed the threshold.

He reciprocated the look, smiling to himself as he followed her figure as she walked back to her desk. He hadn't intended to accept her offer of a shoulder, the thought of her thinking him weak being a major part of the decision, however, the thought of her thinking that he was rejecting her support would have been worse, he did need her and he didn't want her to think that he was an automaton with no feelings. He missed Clive. The man had played a large part in his life, it was a given that Harry would not be the man he was if it wasn't for Clive, he owed it to him to remember him.

He had noticed the small scrap of paper detailing to him that he was to ring Juliet when he got chance, he picked up the telephone and arranged to meet her. Apparently Clive's cancer had spread, and he had committed suicide because of this, Harry had known the words were lies as they tripped of Juliet's tongue, he had known Clive, and he knew Juliet. Surely, had this been the case then Clive would have told him. Perhaps his instincts had failed him this time, perhaps he was truly letting his emotions take control in refusing to believe that Clive had committed suicide, but it just didn't sit right.

He had headed back to Thames House even more dismayed than he had left, he stepped through the pods and looked towards the one desk with the light still on.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

Ruth cocked her head towards him.

"Hmm?" He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "I'm fine. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I've just finished. Harry if you want to go home, I'll understand."

He paused, contemplating.

"No. You're right, I need someone to talk to."

She smiled and raised herself from her chair, moving past him to grapple with her coat, before allowing him to help her into it. He followed her closely into the same pod, a small frisson of desire surprising him as she stepped into his front to get out of the way of the glass doors of the pods. Instinctively he raised his hands to her shoulders, she tensed at the touch of his hand, just as quickly as he had put them there he took them away.

"Sorry."

"No, umm, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting it that's all." She smiled gently and pointedly took his hands, turned around and placed them on her shoulders before leaving the pod. He smiled to himself as he relished the feel of her beneath his hands, he clapped her playfully on her shoulder and slid his hands off her much to her dismay.

She was all too aware of prying eyes as Harry and herself walked side by side through the corridors of Thames House, evidently leaving together; she was particularly wary of being talked about and was glad that it wasn't particularly late at night and that their situation didn't look particularly dubious. Finally they reached the dingy basement car park, Harry unlocked the car as they began to walk over, their footsteps the only sound that could be heard echoing around the deserted space. He opened her door first, beckoning with his hand for her to get in, she smiled at him and sat down waiting for him to set off.

The car ride was uneventful, and filled with an awkward silence and tension. How on earth was she going to make him feel enough at ease to talk about how he was feeling when she felt so on edge? Just his very presence made her nervous, she wanted nothing more than to have him in her house and yet here she was trying to think of any reason for him to drop her off and go home himself, until she remembered the reason why he was coming home with her. She had to remind herself that this had nothing to do with the romantic feelings that she had for him, this was about being a friend to somebody who had lost someone dear to them. Of course that was only part true, a huge part of this was about her romantic feelings for him, why else would her breath hitch each time he looked at her?

As the car slowed she was startled from her reverie by Harry's disconcerting stare. She blushed and smiled.

"Sorry, I was miles away."

"No problem, if you're tired I can just go."

"No. No, you wanted to talk and I want to listen."

He nodded his head and took the keys out of the ignition; she climbed out of the car and began to fumble inside her handbag for her keys.

She had just managed to open the door as he walked up the path, they both watched as her piece of paper fluttered to the ground, indicating that she indeed had been the last person inside her house.

"I have some whiskey somewhere."

"Glad to hear it." He smirked at the incredulous look on her face.

"You're only here for my whiskey."

He winked and followed her inside, chuckling to himself.

He watched her as she poured, eyeing the soft lines of her arms as she raised the bottle to pour, the way her hair crept over her eyes as she bent her head. He only stopped when she handed the glass to him, raising her own to her lips and leading him towards the sofa, bottle in hand. She closed the door behind them and beckoned for him to sit down; he had been hovering around the front room, not quite knowing how to act in her private space. He sat on the left of the two seat sofa, she hesitated, almost going to sit in the chair opposite when he smiled up at her willing her with his eyes to sit with him. She sat down, at a sensible distance from him, sinking back into her cushions, his eyes scanning over her.

"Talk Harry."

"Interrogation is another strength of yours?"

"It could be."

"I bet." He smiled a toothy grin and nursed his whiskey.

Sighing her looked at her.

"I went to see Juliet before."

"Juliet?" She screwed up her face in confusion. Sensing her question he answered her.

"She knew him too, she told me that Clive had committed suicide after finding out his cancer had spread."

She nodded, gesturing for him to go on the dim light playing softly over her features.

"He would never have done that, there's something going on, I don't know yet but I can sense it. Clive was murdered Ruth, I don't know who by or to what end. I just know that he would never do that. It's not him, it would have repulsed him."

"Had you seen him recently?"

"Not particularly recently, it's difficult in our job, you know that much. I didn't know that the cancer had spread. He was a good man, you would have liked him."

Harry bowed his head and downed his whiskey, putting the glass on the coffee table.

"Here," Ruth filled the glass, a small hand covering Harry's wrist.

"Thank you." He cleared his throat and half smiled at her, tentatively her hand slid into his larger one as she moved closer towards him, concerned at how upset he seemed to have become. He squeezed her hand and smiled a watery smile at her and let out a gust of breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm being stupid."

"Of course you're not. Time to grieve Harry." She looked at him pointedly.

"You never did get yours."

"Of course I did, I just had nobody I could share it with. You have me Harry."

"You could have come to me." He spoke sincerely, running a thumb across the hand which was enclosed within his own.

"Because that wouldn't have looked dubious." She quipped sarcastically.

"And this doesn't?"

"Point taken." She went to remove her hand and was surprised when he didn't allow her and then nonchalantly sipped his drink with his other hand. She couldn't help but smile at their conjoined hands, and gaze up at him. Hadn't this been all she had ever wanted with him? She felt awful for enjoying his vulnerability, but him being this open was enchanting to her, she wanted him. But was this just him enjoying the company of a much loved friend? Or was it something more? One thing was for sure; tonight was not the night to find out.

They sat in a companionable silence, sipping their drinks and holding hands when the noise of the front door startled them, it wasn't so much a knocking as a scraping noise; somebody attempting to pick the lock. Instinctively Harry leapt to his feet, as quiet as a mouse.

"Stay here, don't move."

She nodded at him as he crept out of the room and hurriedly sped to the opposite end of the hallway so the person could not see him in the small windows on the door. The house was in darkness except for the lights in the living room where they had just been sat and Harry was having trouble finding somewhere to wait in such conditions. In the end he decided that plain sight would work just as well, nobody would expect him to be just sat on the staircase waiting. The door creaked open and the intruder crept over the threshold as Harry leapt upon him pinning the man up the wall by his throat.

"What do you want?" Harry hissed, squeezing the man ruthlessly.

"Ruth, I'm here to see Ruth." The man squirmed, his voice hoarse and panicked.

"What do you want with Ruth you bastard?" Harry spat, his eyes darkening with rage.

"I just wanted to speak to her."

"Do you not own a watch?" Harry banged the man's head against the wall and hissed at him.

"Again, what do you want?"

The lights in the hall burnt Harry's eyes as Ruth rushed into the hallway and flicked on the lights, her hand went over her mouth with shock at the violent portrait that Harry had painted.

"Gary?"

Harry looked at the aforementioned Gary and back at Ruth.

"You know him?"

"Yes."

"Right. Good." He dropped him unceremoniously onto the ground.

Harry walked out of the hallway and into the living room, fully intending to gather his belongings and leave Ruth to her late night shenanigans with her caller, when he realised that no lover would feel the need to pick the lock on her door and burst back into the hall. Both Ruth and Gary looked up at him as he glared at them. Ruth was knelt over Gary as he rubbed his throat enthusiastically.

"I wasn't expecting anybody to be here."

"I bet you wasn't." Harry butted into the conversation. "Right time for some answers."

Harry pulled Gary to his feet and followed him into the living room with Ruth following close behind.

"Well it's not the charm that attracted you that's for sure. You were never adverse to a bit of rough but this Neanderthal takes the cake."

"Excuse me?" Ruth spluttered, her face wide with shock.

"I need to speak with Ruth." Gary looked imploringly up to Harry from the sofa, feeling disconcerted by the livid expression on his face. Harry sighed.

"I'll be in the kitchen. You have 1 minute, after that it's time to return to whichever gutter you emerged from." Harry sighed, straightened up and looked over to Ruth who nodded gently to him, he smirked gently at her and gripped the bottle of whiskey in his hand and strolled into the kitchen taking it with him.

He had just begun to pour himself another glass when Ruth appeared around the door, her head popping around the frame, he paused and smiled.

"You should hear this Harry."

"What's wrong?"

"It's about Clive."

He put the glass down onto the worktop with a clink, and walked back into the living room.

"Ruthie thought I should just cut out the middle man and tell you, since it appears that you are her boss anyway, bad girl that she is."

"Ruthie." Harry whispered to Ruth, amusement clear in his voice.

"Harry and I aren't..." Ruth looked nervously at Gary, imploring him to stop with the innuendo, being caught by her ex with anybody in the house was bad enough, but being caught with Harry was a totally different matter. How on earth were they going to explain him coming to be there to the team when they inevitably had to take him in for questioning.

"You'd like to though." He stated matter of factly towards Harry, he raised his eyebrows when Harry returned his comment with an unreadable look compared to the look of horror which coloured Ruth's face.

After a brief awkward pause Gary told his tale; regaling the pair with what he had witnessed when he had visited Clive Mc Taggart's home, telling them of how he had been followed and shot at as he attempted to run from the gunmen. Harry had confiscated Gary's phone, all too aware that there was a very good chance that he had been followed to Ruth's house and that this put all 3 of them in equal danger. Pulling out his own phone Harry dialled Adam's number as Ruth turned on the television to stop anybody potentially hearing what was being said. Adam answered promptly, whether the man ever slept was debatable.

"Adam, I need you to organise a safe house... from Ruth's house... I'll explain on the way, we may be compromised...Thank you." He hung up abruptly, and turned to Ruth and Gary.

"Right we are all going to have to stay in a safe house for the foreseeable future, I suggest we all be ready to go as soon as our lift arrives. Ruth, you may want to go and fetch a change of clothes."

"What about you?"

"I have something on its way."

She nodded to him and hurried up the stairs leaving the two men alone in her living room. The silence was unbearable, Gary took to whistling "Goldfinger" much to Harry's chagrin. The screeching of tyres and Harry's vibrating phone finally broke the tension. Harry called up to Ruth who hurried down the stairs with a small hold –all. He smiled at her and took the bag from her possession as she opened the door to Adam.

Adam smiled wryly at the pair of them.

"By the look on your face I would guess that Ruth's guest spoilt a potentially very good evening?"

Harry grunted in reply and proceeded to put Ruth's bag into the boot before getting into the passenger seat and leaving a squashed Zaf to sit in the middle of the back seat.

**AN: The next chapter should be up within a day or so. Review if you enjoyed it. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The safe house was in fact a small semi-detached property in a rough area of East London, it was a dull, faded red, bricked building which blended in well with the drab surrounding streets. The drive had been taken in silence apart from Harry's explanation of events and a brief conversation between him and Adam detailing when they were planning on bringing Gary onto the grid for a debriefing and minor interrogation. Of course, Gary had played no part in this conversation despite attempting a number of times to make it perfectly clear that spending the foreseeable future in Harry's company was not how he had been intending to spend his weekend. The car had pulled up after around half an hour, Harry was out of the car first and instantly opened the door of Ruth's side and waited for her to get out. Zaf followed her, joints aching due to the unnatural position he had been forced to reside in due to the cramped back seat.

"It's clear Harry. Coms are working, Malcolm will get in touch with you tomorrow morning."

"Thank you Adam. I'm sure I can handle things from here. Goodnight." He nodded. "Goodnight Zaf." He nodded at the younger officer.

To say the inside of the safe house was basic was an understatement, the wallpaper had been fashionable in the 80s and the fireplace seemed to have given up at around the same time. There was a small sofa and an armchair stationed opposite it, a grey moth eaten rug and the bare essentials in the kitchen.

"Could do with a lick of paint." Gary looked around, running a finger across a particularly dusty sideboard.

"It's better than the alternative." Harry flashed a death stare at Gary, it was going to be a long night, particularly with the way he seemed to be eyeing up Ruth out of the corner of his eye in a non to subtle manner.

"Right, well I'm going to bed." Ruth looked between the two men.

"Good idea, I think I'll join you." The comment earned Gary his second death stare in as many minutes. Harry squared his jaw and looked upon the slight smile that Ruth was wearing. After tonight there was no way he could claim that his behaviour was that of a protective friend or boss, particularly when he was wearing such a pout as he did. Ruth turned and headed up the stairs followed by the two men, she pushed open the door at the top of the stairs to be greeted with the sight of a less archaic master bedroom than the rest of the property. The only other door on the landing was pushed open by Gary who chuckled to himself and promptly closed it behind him.

"Well this could be interesting."

"Pardon?" Ruth turned quickly to face them.

"Bathroom."

"What?" She pushed past him and opened the door herself to be greeted with a small porcelain lavatory and a wash basin.

"I suppose this is Zaf's idea of a joke." Harry hissed, turning a funny shade of purple. "Goodnight Ruth, Gary and I will fight over the couch." He smiled gently at her, she reciprocated and placed a hand on his arm leaning in gently to whisper in his ear.

"Be nice."

"Aren't I always." He gave her his most devastating smirk and almost made her reconsider her lack of argument over him sleeping downstairs.

Gary coughed at the two of them, rolling his eyes comically at the farce which was occurring before his eyes.

"Goodnight." She turned around carefully, her eyes not leaving Harry's until she disappeared into the bedroom.

Harry was the first to begin the decent down the stairs as Gary still looked on in frustration. Finding himself on the sofa Harry began to make himself comfortable, a bag of blankets and other assorted linens had been thrown on the faded welcome mat by Adam as he had left.

"I thought we were going to fight it out."

Harry scoffed, plumping his pillow before laying his head onto it. Gary sighed and tried to make himself comfortable on the armchair, a few minutes had passed and it was blindingly obvious that neither of them were asleep. Harry shifted onto his side and turned to look at a reclined Gary.

"So how long was it that you and Ruth were together?"

"How did you know that we were together?" Gary stirred slightly in his chair.

"I didn't." Harry smirked.

"Bloody spook." Gary chuckled and replied to Harry's smirk with his own satirical grin.

"About 18 months. I met her at Uni."

"Ah." Harry nodded.

"Split up around the time she began working at GCHQ."

"That's why you chose to go to her?"

Gary nodded his reply.

"I knew the information would be of interest."

"And that she would have the means of protecting you." Harry smiled sardonically.

"That too." Gary smiled back.

"I suppose it didn't occur to you that you would put her in the same danger by going to her?" Harry quizzed, feeling a little more satisfied when Gary couldn't keep eye contact with him.

"I suppose it's embarrassing for her too." Gary looked back at Harry, fire back in his eyes.

"What makes you say that?" Harry clipped his voice; his tone taking on a roughness.

"Well your sleazy little affair is going to be the talk of the office come tomorrow morning." Harry's eyes burnt into him and he clucked his tongue.

"You shouldn't speak of something you know nothing about."

"Oh but I do." He waited for a look of acknowledgement to appear on Harry's face but was met with nothing; a blank expression. "I suppose it could be said I know Ruthie intimately." Gary smirked diabolically. "I remember how she used to look at me."

"Could you please make your point? I intend to sleep tonight."

"You can't seriously tell me there is nothing going on."

Harry kept silent, his rage increasing with his curiosity. Perhaps his feelings weren't completely unrequited.

"Go to sleep Gary." Harry enunciated each word at his companion before turning his face into the fabric of the sofa.

Ruth lay in bed, she could hear the muffled voices of the two men downstairs; the conversation was unfortunately indecipherable to hear ears from where she lay. She thrashed around for a while trying in vain to get comfortable on the hard mattress. The voices had stopped, either Harry had throttled him or they were asleep, it was alright for some. Sleep seemed to be evading her at any cost. She slipped out of the bed, slid onto the floor and out of the room.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs she could see Gary's outline slumped in the armchair and a large mass snuggled into the soft material of the sofa. Before she had realised it she was stood by him, she could make out the peaceful, sleeping face that had haunted her dreams for longer than she would care to admit. His short curls were stood on end where he had been lying and the creases in his face seemed less pronounced. He looked so much younger and untroubled. She smiled at him and kneeled; allowing one of her hands to hover above his hair, teasing herself. As if she had just come out of a trance she shook her head and bolted for the kitchen.

She flicked the switch on the kettle an shakily reached for a mug whilst mentally chastising herself for thinking of Harry in such a way when a hand put down another mug next to her, she jumped; scared witless and motioned to attack the newcomer when she realised who it was.

"Harry."

"I'm sorry I startled you."

"Umm, it's fine."

He nodded and smiled at her.

"I think these could do with a quick swill before we use them." He grasped the two mugs by the handle and padded across to the sink and began to run the water.

"Can't sleep?" He questioned.

"No. You?"

"Same." She nodded stiffly and watched his movements as he brought the mugs back across the kitchen.

"Are you alright? After hearing about Clive I mean?"

"I'm fine." He smiled, dropping two teabags into the mugs. "Things are progressing quicker than I anticipated with the operation but at least they are progressing."

"He was still your friend though Harry."

"I know. And I want to find out what happened to him and put this to rest. Sooner the better, then we can all go home and get on with our lives." He snapped slightly at her, but realising the hurt look on her face he quickly softened.

"You've been brilliant. You didn't have to do this for me."

"I wanted to." She blushed slightly; his mouth went dry at her admitting that she had wanted to be there for him, that perhaps there was something between them which surpassed the boundaries of colleagues.

"Why?" His voice had taken on a smooth, seductive tone. His eyes darkened with his desire for her, she began to quiver nervously and had forgotten to breathe when the click indicating that the kettle had boiled intruded on their moment. Fumbling she grasped the kettle burning herself in the process.

"Shit." She clutched her hand wincing.

"Come here, let me see." He grasped her hand in his own, not giving her the chance to argue and led her over to the sink and began to run the tap, gently he lowered their joined hands beneath the water, keeping his eyes intently on them as she searched his face with her own.

Time seemed to stand still as they stood there with the water gushing over their hands, he passed a thumb across the tip of her finger, when she didn't flinch he stopped the water.

"There we are, all better." Time really had stopped this time, all they seemed to be able to do was stare at the other, Harry pecked a chaste kiss on her burnt fingertip, hoping that his manoeuvre would extinguish a little of the tension that had appeared only to realise that he had just made matters ten times worse.

She was certain he was going to kiss her, for that matter she was certain that she was going to kiss him. His tongue poked out of his mouth and licked across his lips in anticipation.

"Put him down Moneypenny, you don't know where he's been." They jumped apart suddenly startled by the appearance of their intruder.

"Do you have no tact?" Harry hissed under his breath at Gary, brimming with anger as the younger man chuckled and turned back towards his armchair.

**AN: Well I hope you are all enjoying the story, review if you have any thoughts about where this should go. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's so incredibly late, life gets in the way! Well this is particularly close to the end now. Shan't be much longer. As with all my work, this is un-beta d so please allow for some small errors. **

CHAPTER 3

The three of them had soon decided out of sheer awkwardness that a night of insomnia would be completely preferential to staying any longer in the situation they were currently in and had retired to bed. Harry cursed Gary's diabolical timing under his breath as he sank back into the sofa he had previously been attempting to sleep on.

Ruth lay in the bed upstairs, her body fatigued and willing sleep as her mind raged with thoughts. _What would have happened had Gary not interrupted them before? Would he have kissed her? Then what? Then what would have happened between them? _ Things wouldn't have been the same, they couldn't have been. The look in his eyes as he gazed at her was intoxicating, it was as though every thought he had ever had was open to her, in that one moment he was completely unguarded. It thrilled her and frightened her at the same time.

Ruth had been the first to wake; she was showered and dressed by 6am and had found herself delving into the sparse cupboards of the safe house attempting to find something edible within them. She had squatted on the floor of the kitchen trying to free a packet of cornflakes from behind a barrage of pots and pans in the quietest way possible. Gary moved behind her, prompting her to move out of the way for him.

"Allow me." He smiled charmingly, and threw a glance at Harry who appeared to be in a deep slumber in the next room. Gary grasped the cornflakes and dragged them across the bottom of the cupboard causing the steel pans to knock together and create the most annoying alarm imaginable to man. He presented the cereal to Ruth proudly, choosing to ignore the look that she was giving him as Harry padded into the kitchen.

"Morning." Gary chimed at Harry. Harry grunted in reply his eyes still blurry with lack of sleep. Truth be told he had had no more than an hour of sleep and did not appreciate Gary's jovial tone.

"Would you like a drink Harry?" Ruth almost whispered to him, a tiny smile on her face as she took in the messy appearance of her usually immaculate boss.

"Thank you Ruth." She handed both him and Gary a mug of strong coffee.

The three of them had moved to sit at the four seated table on the other side of the kitchen, the tension between the two men caused the most pregnant of pauses, Ruth had taken to toying with the faded place mat in order to resolve some of her own awkwardness and give her something to do.

"What time is Adam coming?"

"Half an hour." Harry grunted, his eyes falling onto her face, his voice growing softer as he did so.

The trip to the grid had been just as awkward as breakfast, upon arriving at the grid Harry had taken great pride in leaving the group and strolling towards his deserted office, leaving Ruth and Adam to deal with Gary and the predicament of where he would be kept. The day had been normal in its progress, Ruth had foiled Gary's attempt to make money out of his experience with the service and Adam had been out in the field attempting to make discreet enquiries into Gary Hicks and the links that he may have had with Clive Mc Taggart, only to be met with the pretty, blonde, journalist Joanna Portman who was after nothing more than a job from Hicks. She however, had seemed to have taken a liking to Adam and had been making enquires with Malcolm as to whether Adam was indeed her overly friendly local gas man. He should have known really that she was going to be difficult to shake off.

Harry had spoken to Gary, in the comfort of the basement holding cells as he had insisted when Ruth had suggested that she would bring Gary onto the main part of the grid for him to interview. A brief reminder of the fact that Gary seemed to be the only witness to Clive Mc Taggart's death appeared to be enough to placate her.

The interview had brought forth no more information than Harry had been imparted with the night before and his company had made Harry dread the circumstances of residing with Gary and Ruth after his work was done, however, the lack of sleep that had been inflicted upon him was beginning to get the better of him by 6pm.

"Harry?" Zaf had appeared at the door of his office.

"Can I help you Zafar?" Harry rubbed his hand over his tired face.

"Adam wants me to stay at the safe house with you and Ruth tonight."

"Why?"

"Something about making sure our key witness doesn't mysteriously disappear in the night."

"You do realise there is one bedroom in that god forsaken place."

"I'm not quite sure how I should take that Harry." Zaf winked at a bemused Harry and smirked.

"We're moving to a bigger place, all the better to keep whoever is doing this on their toes."

"Right." Harry nodded dismissively at Zaf; who instantly got the message and disappeared back to his desk.

The prospect of sharing his accommodations with Zaf was not a completely unpleasant idea to Harry. It at least meant that there was another person to keep Gary entertained. He didn't relish the idea himself and definitely did not want to entertain the notion of Ruth having to entertain his unwanted guest in any way shape or form. It also ultimately meant that he would perhaps be able to spend more time alone with her.

He looked out onto the grid to see Zaf and Ruth chatting between themselves, they looked awfully chummy. Far too chummy for his liking. Then again he may well be a problem.

Adam had driven the group to the safe house at half past 8 that evening, the drive was just as awkward as the previous ones had been; not helped by Zaf's insistence on attempting to break the tension with a selection of his favourite dirty jokes. The safe house was indeed a good deal larger and at least housed 3 bedrooms; a good night's sleep didn't seem like such a ludicrous notion. Ruth and Gary were the first to enter, she smiled to herself as she took in the well furnished surroundings, obviously Zaf had decided that if he had to stay with them tonight that he wouldn't be doing it in squalor. She grasped the handles of her bag tightly and strolled up the staircase leading to the bedrooms; opening the first door and leaving her bag inside. Harry had chosen the room next door, deciding that under no circumstances would he be sharing with Gary again. Normally, he would have felt inclined to have given up his room for his charge but his distaste of having that snoring pig of man in the bed next to him had succeeded his better judgement. Besides, this way Zaf could keep an eye on him.

Once Adam had left to see to Wes and all of the rooms had been allocated to their occupants Zaf had taken it upon himself to see to dinner. The local Chinese take away had been promptly rung and a good deal of the budget spent on the evening's food. The prospect of dinner had buoyed Harry's spirits somewhat as he seated himself next to Ruth and began to eat.

Ruth and Harry were shyly playing at arguing over the last spring roll when the unmistakable shrill sound of a number of car alarms going off in succession. Zaf whipped his head around from within the living room and looked to Harry. Harry instinctively moved from his place next to Ruth as Zaf knocked the lamp over to conceal their whereabouts.

"Get down!" Harry yelled at Ruth and Gary as the men began to open fire on them. Zaf began to fire as Harry concealed himself behind the doorframe and attempted to dial through to Adam. The gunfire was relentless, the place was lit as it would be with a strobe. The men were getting nearer, Harry was feeling completely helpless, he didn't carry a gun. He had never felt that he had reason to, but at this particular moment he definitely felt that his logic had been flawed.

Harry flinched as the sickening sound of a speeding bullet piercing flesh could be heard, he looked to Zaf; ensuring it wasn't him. It wasn't, one of the gunmen was down. One more to go, he looked over to where Ruth and Gary were hidden beneath the table meeting her eye. He tried to smile and placate her, she looked petrified.

Regardless of the jammer that had been used in order to stop Harry from calling Adam, said back – up had arrived, special forces had burst through the doors, putting an end to proceedings. Adam had emerged from within the group as Harry had strode forwards. Gary and Ruth had emerged from their hiding place as Zaf joined Harry with the section head.

"Good work Zafar." Harry had nodded at him, a small smile apparent on his face.

"We'll have to take you somewhere else. Whoever is behind all of this obviously knows where you are."

"I'm coming onto the grid, sort this thing out once and for all. We can start with an ID on these poor unfortunates." Harry muttered sarcastically glancing down at the bodies of their assailants.

It didn't look like he was going to get that night of undisturbed rest after all.

**Hope you all enjoyed it, please review with your comments. **


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